


To Lure Someone Bad

by saphire_dance



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Minor Injuries, werewolves of a sort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2018-11-03 13:37:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10968336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saphire_dance/pseuds/saphire_dance
Summary: Ratchet goes for a walk in a crystal forest, and finds more than he bargained for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SlimReaper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlimReaper/gifts).



> I saw a picture of Deadlock that reminded me of a wolf. Little Red Riding Hood inspired, but it definitely veers off that track.
> 
> Was only intended to be one chapter, but _someone_ had to feed the plot bunny

Go to the crystal forest next to the ruins of Praxus, and hopefully find the right crystal. Pink, isometric, fragile, and if Ratchet could get a growing sample back to the Autobot’s base he just might be able to prevent a full scale outbreak of rust rash. 

Finding the crystal had proved difficult, he quite literally stumbled upon it, tripping and nearly falling face first into a specimen. Carefully digging it up and setting it in the container Perceptor had specially prepared for it was a relief. Now he just needed to get it back to Iacon

But first he had to get out of the forest, and back to his shuttle. The light was starting to fade, the tall crystal trunks taking on a more foreboding aspect than they’d had earlier in the cycle. He just had to go back the way he came. Ratchet got back to his pedes and looked around.

“You look lost, Ratchet.” he recognized that voice. Drift… Deadlock leaned against a large crystal. How long had he been watching Ratchet stumble around.

“Deadlock.” Ratchet’s voice was calm, he’d had to much practice hiding his fear to let it show now.

Deadlock sneered, stalking over the uneven ground with lupine grace. “Bringing a crystal to your sweetspark?” 

Ratchet took a step back, nearly falling over again, delicate crystals crunching under his pede. “It's medicinal.” He didn’t stand a chance in a fight against Deadlock, but he needed to get this crystal back to the Autobots.

Something in Deadlock shifted and just for a moment Ratchet could see the young mech he'd saved in Dead End. “Megatron has orders to capture any medic we find.” Drift… Deadlock leaned closer to Ratchet a wicked smile spreading across his face “But I’ll let you go if you give me one thing”

Ratchet pulled the container holding the crystal closer to his chassis. “What?” He quickly weighed his options, better to lose the crystal than be taken prisoner. He couldn’t help any of his patients in a Con holding cell.

“A kiss.”

“A kiss?” Ratchet nearly dropped the crystal. He reset his audial receptors just to make sure they hadn’t malfunctioned. “Is that all you want?” 

“No.” Deadlock looked Ratchet over with a slow leer. “But it's all I'm asking for.”

Ratchet carefully stowed the crystal in his subspace. He took a deep breath, licking his lips and watching Drift… Deadlock’s optics follow the motion. “Alright. One kiss.”


	2. Chapter 2

One kiss couldn’t hurt anything. That’s what Ratchet told himself. It was hard to believe with Deadlock backing him up against the trunk of one of the towering crystal spires. His spark whirled madly, and Ratchet wished he could say it was just from fear. Drift… Deadlock was a gorgeous mech, far too pretty to be interested in someone like him, and yet here they were.

Deadlock ran the back of his fingers across Ratchet’s cheek. He was close enough Ratchet could feel his ventilations across his lips, but he made no move to kiss him. Instead it seemed as if he was studying Ratchet’s face. “You going to kiss me, or what?”

“I…” Deadlock paused when a cyber wolf howl echoed in the distance. He stepped back from Ratchet hand going to the gun holstered on his hip. “Let me escort you back to your shuttle first. It’s not safe here at night.”

“I get the feeling it’s not safe anytime.” It took Ratchet a moment to orient himself, but he still had to ping his shuttle to figure which direction to go in. There was another cyber wolf howl, closer this time. “This way.”

It was quiet, only the crunch of crystal fragments under their pedes and the occasional cry of a lilleth. Deadlock was getting twitchier the closer they got to Ratchet’s shuttle. Ratchet didn’t understand it. Drift… Deadlock had asked for a kiss, why was he shying away now? The cyber wolves started howling again. Far too close this time. Deadlock cursed drawing his sidearm. “How much farther to your shuttle?” 

Ratchet pinged his shuttle again, but it proved unnecessary when he recognized some of the large crystal growths around them. “Just past those spires.” Ratchet pulled out his pistol, checking that it was charged and operational. “There’s a lot of open space between us and the shuttle.” He wasn’t a good enough pilot that he felt comfortable landing closer to the forest, and now he was regretting that.

“As soon as we’re in the open start running.” The moonlight clearly illuminated the shuttle as they moved past the last towering spires of the forest. Ratchet briefly considered transforming, but the soft ground and crystal undergrowth would make driving difficult. So they ran. Drift… Deadlock should have easily outpaced him, even in root mode, but he stayed just behind Ratchet, guarding his back.

They were halfway to the shuttle when a cyber wolf broke past the edge of the forest. It was like no cyber wolf Ratchet had ever seen. Larger and far more menacing than the specimens at the Iacon zoo, it’s howl nearly froze Ratchet’s spark. “Keep moving.” Deadlock took a few shots at the creature, grabbing Ratchet’s arm to move him along faster.

Ratched frantically transmitted the access codes to the shuttle. It was only a basic transport, no automated defence system to activate, just as well as any Autobot programed system would have registered Deadlock as a threat and Ratchet isn’t exactly sure when he stopped agreeing with that sentiment.

The creature crashed through the undergrowth baying loudly. Ratchet hoped the sounds were echoing and that thing wasn’t as close as it seemed to be. Deadlock took a few more shots, pushing Ratchet towards the shuttle. Ratchet ducked into the shuttle before the door even finished opening, turning to cover Deadlock’s entry. 

Deadlock backed up the ramp to the shuttle door shooting at the creature, the shots having barely any effect. Ratchet raised his pistol and began firing at the charging beast. Were he any other mech his hands might be shaking as shot after shot glanced off thick armored plating. 

Just when Ratchet thought they were going to make it the thing jumped before Deadlock made it through the door. The cyber wolf bit down on Deadlock’s arm and nearly pulled him off his feet. Ratchet grabbed Deadlock around the waist, firing point blank into the creature’s face. His earlier shots may have bounced off it’s thick plating, but it’s optics weren’t nearly as shielded. It dropped Deadlock’s arm falling back with a piercing cry.

Ratchet dragged Deadlock through the doorway, slamming his hand down on the control panel. The door slipped shut just in time the creature ramming into it, it’s scratching and howling still audible through the thick tritanium door. “That is not an ordinary cyber wolf.”

“One of Shockwave’s experiments.” Drift… Deadlock straightened up and Ratchet realized he still had his arm around him. Hopefully the energon flush on his face could be attributed to the narrow escape they just had. He made sure Deadlock was steady on his feet and went to grab the shuttles medkit. “It escaped and I was sent after it, but then I saw you and…” Deadlock gave him that same heated once over he had earlier that day. “I got distracted.” 

“Flatterer.” Ratchet found the switch that would fold the berth down from the shuttle bay’s wall. “Alright Drift, sit down and let me get a look at your arm.”

Deadlock sat down on the berth heavily and held his arm out for Ratchet’s inspection. “I didn’t think you remembered.” 

“Remembered what?” Ratchet replied absently, his focus almost entirely cleansing and treating the injury in front of him.

The wound wasn’t as bad as he’d first feared. Deadlock’s self repair had already sealed off the torn energon line, there wasn’t much for Ratchet to do but wrap the wound until he could get him to a proper medbay. Until Deadlock could get himself to a proper medbay. “Me. You called me Drift.” 

Had he slipped up? Despite constantly reminding himself that this was one of Megatron’s trusted generals, not his young patient from Rodion. “Sorry.” Ratchet murmured his apology, busying himself with wrapping the soft steel mesh around Deadlock’s arm.

“It’s okay,” Deadlock said softly. “I just didn’t think you remembered me.” Ratchet snuck a quick glance at Deadlock’s face as he repacked the medkit. Where Ratchet had feared seeing an angry scowl was a soft smile and the barest hint of energon flushing his cheeks. Ratchet’s spark twisted in his chassis and he found his gaze lingering on Drift… Deadlock’s lips. They still hadn’t gotten around to that kiss.

“I don’t think I could ever forget you.” Ratchet sat on the berth and put his hand on Deadlock’s shoulder, mirroring the gesture from all those years ago. “You’re special” 

Ratchet leaned in closer fulling intending to keep is earlier promise of a kiss. Deadlock brought both his hands up to Ratchet’s chassis, stopping him. “What are you doing?”

“Kissing you.” 

The slight flush on Deadlock’s cheeks became a full blush. Ratchet had never seen anyone so flustered. “I know I asked, but I shouldn’t have, and I’m sorry. You don’t have to. I won’t...”

“Drift, shut up.” Ratchet swooped in, pressing their lips together. Belatedly he realized he’d used the wrong name again, but at this point it didn’t matter, not with Deadlock melting into the kiss and pulling him closer. Ratchet swiftly lost count, but it was far more than one kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

“So Deadlock huh?” Jazz perched on the edge of the med berth while Ratchet busied himself restocking. He didn’t have to turn around to picture the smug look that would be on Jazz’s face or the way he’d be playfully swinging his feet.

“You can’t possibly be that far behind on your reports.” Ratchet’s sparse report of his run-in with Drift… Deadlock had left a lot out, but Jazz was a master of reading between the lines. He couldn’t know exactly what Ratchet had left out, but he had to have noticed. 

He could have mentioned that Deadlock had offered him his freedom in exchange for a kiss, and even that he’d accepted the deal. No one would judge him for doing whatever he had to to get back safely. After the first kiss, he knew he wouldn’t be reporting any of it. Nothing about how those first sweet kisses had shifted into something strut-meltingly hot. Not a single word about how he couldn’t recall if Drift had pulled him down onto the berth or if he’d been the one to push him down. 

Ratchet ruthlessly deleted that line of thought before his cooling fans could kick on. He was going to have to recount everything in this room after Jazz left, he was too distracted to have done a proper job. He slammed the drawer he was working on shut and turned to glare at Jazz. “So what is it you want?”

Jazz’s grin grew impossibly wider. “You’re right. I’m not behind on my reports.” Jazz braced his hands on the edge of the berth leaning towards Ratchet. “But a certain Decepticon walked up to one of our patrols this morning and asked to be taken to see you.”

Ratchet cursed loudly storming through the med bay to his office for his emergency kit. “You are supposed to bring Con’s asking for me straight to medbay. It’s protocol for a reason.” Too many Cons, and Autobots, had died because of unchecked viruses and infections spreading through the brig. It was safer for everyone that if a mech was desperate enough to cross enemy lines for medical treatment they got that treatment first. If Spec-Ops wanted to interrogate them after, well they weren’t Ratchet’s patient once they were healthy again.

“We put him in an isolation room. Protocols are different when it’s one of Megatron’s elite.” Jazz grabbed Ratchet’s arm, stopping him just before they reached the medbay doors. “Seriously Ratch, if you’re mixed up in anything you gotta tell me. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.”

Ratchet gritted his denta. “Nothing happened that Spec-Ops needs to be concerned about.”

“And if I ask as your friend?” How Jazz could make cyber-puppy optics behind a visor was a mystery not even Prowl could solve.

“We were trapped in a small shuttle all night, Jazz. We sure as the pit weren’t playing strategy games to pass the time.”

Jazz frowned, clearly he was hoping for more detail, but Ratchet wasn’t giving him any more right now. Maybe after he’d seen to Drift… Deadlock, and had a stiff drink. Finally Jazz relented, dropping his hold on Ratchet’s arm. “You’re telling me everything sooner or later.”

“Later.” Ratchet grabbed Jazz and rushed him out of the med bay. “Now, where in the pit did you put my patient?”

~~~~~~~~

Deadlock was laying on the small berth in the solitary cell when Ratchet came bursting through the door. He propped himself up on his elbows and gave Ratchet a wane smile in greeting. “Knew you were here.” His cooling fans were running on low, and Ratchet couldn’t help but recall the last time he’d seen Drift in that pose, right before he’s straddled his hips and leaned down to kiss him once more. His expression then had been something more akin to awe than the glassy optic look he had right now.

Sideswipe was stationed near the door of the room and Deadlock’s smile brought a glare to his face. Ratchet wasn’t surprised they’d set one of the twins as a guard. Everyone knew they could be oddly protective of him. Ratchet would have to drag him and anyone else that had come into contact with Drift. If whatever was affecting him was contagious it would need to be stopped before it spread too far.

Setting his kit on the floor, Ratchet perched on the edge of the berth. “Alright, kid, let’s see what’s wrong.” He reached for Drift’s medical ports, only to have Drift grab his wrist, faster than he’d expect him to be able to move.

Sideswipe stepped forward with a growl from his engines. Deadlock shifted his focus from Ratchet to Sideswipe answering his challenge with a rev of his engine and a truly feral growl from his vocalizer. Ratchet moved between them waving Sideswipe back before they could escalate their posturing into a fight. “You need to let me plug in and check your code for viruses. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Cradling Ratchet’s hand to his chest, Drift shook his head. “Not afraid of you. It’s not safe. Shockwave. Caught something off that experiment of his.” His words started slurring towards the end and Ratchet hovered his free hand over Drift’s forehead, letting his onboard scanners check Drift’s temperature.

Ratchet cursed Primus, and Jazz, and everyone involved in the decision not to bring Deadlock straight to his medbay. Shaking his hand free of Drift’s grasp He scooped him up and turned towards Sideswipe. “Open the door and grab my kit.” It would have been easier to call for a transport stretcher from medbay, but it would be faster to carry Drift there himself, and time was not on his side if Shockwave was involved.

“What?” Sideswipe blinked at Ratchet like a mechana deer in his high beams. 

“You heard me. Open the door. He needed to be in medbay hours ago. And I want everyone who came into contact with him there for a checkup as well.” The last was growled more at whoever was behind the security cameras than at Sideswipe, but it was enough to get him to spring into action regardless. He held the door open while Ratchet maneuvered Drift’s near unconscious frame through and after grabbing Ratchet’s kit moved ahead of him to clear the halls. Smart kid.

Ratchet looked down at the mech curled up in his arms. He hadn’t expected to see Drift again. At least not this soon, and not like this. He’d tried not to think about Drift at all, but he couldn’t seem to stop the idle fantasy of luring him over to the Autobots. Drift clung to Ratchet still fighting to stay conscious, And Ratchet couldn’t help but smile at him. “You’re going to be okay. Just rest. I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there's at least two, if not 3, more chapters of this to come. I keep trying to work on other things but this keeps dragging me back.


End file.
